1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flagpole hardware and more particularly pertains to a new flagpole top support bracket assembly for mounting on the top of a flagpole to support a flag.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flagpoles, and the various types of hardware used in association with the flagpoles, are generally well known. The most common and recognized flagpole are those that have a fixed length and employ some type of rope or cable to support and move the flag up and down the pole as needed. Less common are telescopic flagpoles, such as is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,185, issued Oct. 4, 2005 and incorporated here by reference in its entirety, which are extendable and retractable. Due to their telescopic nature, these flagpoles present challenges that are not always adequately addressed by the hardware employed on the conventional fixed length flagpoles. For example, because the sections telescope in and out of each other, the hardware cannot be immovably mounted on the sections, and must be able to be removed or at least slide along the length of the sections. This stresses the hardware, and periodically the hardware needs to be removed and replaced.
One piece of hardware that is subject to this periodic repair or replacement is the flag support bracket assembly that is located at the top of the pole. This bracket typically rotates about the pole to permit substantially free movement of the flag about the pole, but resists or prevents downward movement of the top of the flag on the flagpole. The known design of this top bracket requires that the ball or other ornament mounted at the top of the pole be removed from the flagpole to remove and replace the bracket. It is believed that this requirement unnecessarily complicates the replacement of the bracket, and increases the risk that the bracket will be incorrectly removed or replaced, or that the ornament will become damaged in the time period that it is removed from the pole. Furthermore, in at least some of the known designs, improper tightening of the ornament or other retaining structure will restrict or prevent rotation of the bracket, or may allow too much movement of the bracket relative to the pole, which can lead to excessive wear and premature failure. Other designs employ inserts that insert into the top end of the pole to hold the bracket in place, but again improper positioning of the insert can resist rotation. Further, the known insert design requires the bracket to contact and ride on the upper edge of the hollow flag pole, and thus could also lead to excessive wear and premature failure if the top edge is not sufficiently smooth or the materials used for the flagpole and the bracket are not of similar wear resistance.
It is therefore believed that there is a need for an improved top bracket for supporting the flag on a flagpole that doesn't require removal of the top ornament from the flagpole to replace the bracket, and that provides additional improvements in the operation and reliability in the top bracket.